As the school year comes to an end, so does my schedule of posting. Hopefully, the blog isn't dying; it's slowing down. That makes this my final "on time" post. I'd like to thank anyone who's stuck along for the ride, and anyone who plans to stick around and check back every now and then in the future. Thanks! You guys' support means a lot.
Alright, so here it is:
This is your final writing reminder for a while. I hope you all keep writing without my nagging. Even so, here it is - go write. That's all I've got, it's up to you now. Go be authors and change the world in the way that only authors can. I believe in y'all. Until next time, whenever that may be, happy writing. -Abby
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Positively Writing LGBTQ+
I've been inspired by instances of positive and believable writing of the LGBT+ community in TV and literature, and wanted to put together a list of tips for everyone (including me) to help when we try to write.
1: Don't overdo it
The occasional bi or trans character can liven up a story or add interest to a romance, but if all your characters are lgbtq+, it just isn't realistic. It can be jarring to readers if, without explanation, everyone is gay, and it can make romances less relatable. This tip in particular is subject to literary license, but be aware.
2: Challenge stereotypes
We all fall into the stereotype trap in our writing every now and again - with a slow blonde cheerleader or a nerdy asian kid - but it's much more interesting to defy a stereotype than to follow along with one. This applies twofold to lgbtq writing. There are so many assumptions and stereotypes, this is another one to be aware of.
3: Do your research
This goes hand in hand with the stereotypes. Before you start writing, do your research on the subject matter. Get your information from primary sources. If a character falls into a stereotype, check to see if that stereotype has a basis in likelihood or not. Also, in this somewhat touchy matter, you'll offend a lot less people if you know what you're talking about.
4: Make sure your intentions are clear
This is another way you might offend others; if your intentions are vague, people will take things the wrong way. When you write especially flawed characters that are lgbtq, make sure the distinction between their flaws and their sexuality is obvious. If you want to have a character that follows a certain stereotype, communicate that your choices are intentional, not coming from a misunderstanding or prejudiced standpoint. Again, it can be a touchy subject, so make your decisions carefully.
5: Don't overlook character
Never forget that a person is more than their sexual orientation or identity. It's okay to have it be an important point in the story, but remember that every person has depth and shouldn't be one-sided (with occasional exceptions). Remember to develop all characters appropriately for their roles in the story.
And that's all she wrote! Go forth and write interesting lgbtq+ characters, or at least, know these tips in case you'd like to. Happy writing! -Abby
1: Don't overdo it
The occasional bi or trans character can liven up a story or add interest to a romance, but if all your characters are lgbtq+, it just isn't realistic. It can be jarring to readers if, without explanation, everyone is gay, and it can make romances less relatable. This tip in particular is subject to literary license, but be aware.
2: Challenge stereotypes
We all fall into the stereotype trap in our writing every now and again - with a slow blonde cheerleader or a nerdy asian kid - but it's much more interesting to defy a stereotype than to follow along with one. This applies twofold to lgbtq writing. There are so many assumptions and stereotypes, this is another one to be aware of.
3: Do your research
This goes hand in hand with the stereotypes. Before you start writing, do your research on the subject matter. Get your information from primary sources. If a character falls into a stereotype, check to see if that stereotype has a basis in likelihood or not. Also, in this somewhat touchy matter, you'll offend a lot less people if you know what you're talking about.
4: Make sure your intentions are clear
This is another way you might offend others; if your intentions are vague, people will take things the wrong way. When you write especially flawed characters that are lgbtq, make sure the distinction between their flaws and their sexuality is obvious. If you want to have a character that follows a certain stereotype, communicate that your choices are intentional, not coming from a misunderstanding or prejudiced standpoint. Again, it can be a touchy subject, so make your decisions carefully.
5: Don't overlook character
Never forget that a person is more than their sexual orientation or identity. It's okay to have it be an important point in the story, but remember that every person has depth and shouldn't be one-sided (with occasional exceptions). Remember to develop all characters appropriately for their roles in the story.
And that's all she wrote! Go forth and write interesting lgbtq+ characters, or at least, know these tips in case you'd like to. Happy writing! -Abby
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Writing good dialogue
Writing dialogue that sounds natural while moving your story along and setting your tone can be a daunting task, and rightfully so. Quite simply, it's hard. Don't let poor dialogue hold you back. Looking at several articles on the subject, I've composed a list of things that will help you bump up your dialogue.
If you want to write naturally, the way people talk, then you have to listen to people talk.
Use dialogue "economically." Make sure that everything you write has a purpose- Does it develop the character? Does it give information that forwards the plot? If it's just taking up space, cut it out. This applies to things like pleasantries, too. Even though they would be in normal speech, they're tedious in writing. Find a balance between natural-feeling and concise.
Use actions to break up long stretches of dialogue, and sometimes in place of speech tags. Show what your characters are thinking or feeling, don't just tell. For instance, tacking adverbs onto speech tags is jarring and unnecessary.
Instead of this:
"I like it," she said happily.
Try this:
She grinned at him, eyes twinkling. "I like it."
While we're on the topic of speech tags, don't put them all in the same place. With experience, you get an ear for where to put them, and when to omit them, so read your sentences and decide where it sounds best. If you decide to omit one, make sure it's obvious who's speaking.
A good way to make it obvious who's speaking is by varying the voices of your characters. Every person doesn't have the same speech pattern- make sure this is evident in your work. You can give characters various accents, speech patterns, or even sayings that they use, just be careful not to overdo it.
Especially watch your use of slang. Not only does it date your work, it can feel awkward to readers. Also limit use of "um," "well," and pauses. Again, if it's just taking up space, leave it out, even if it would make sense in a real conversation.
Finally, don't be the grammar police with dialogue. People don't always speak in complete sentences. Characters shouldn't either. Trailing off or being interrupted can give a conversation depth. Maybe one character tends to misuse words or make mistakes. That's one way to give them their own voice. So ease up on the rules, and don't make it sound good; make it sound real.
If you'd like to read the articles I read, here are their links:
Writing Is Hard Work
Whoosh Editing
NY Book Editors
Thanks for reading to the end of this super long post. Happy writing! -Abby
If you want to write naturally, the way people talk, then you have to listen to people talk.
Use dialogue "economically." Make sure that everything you write has a purpose- Does it develop the character? Does it give information that forwards the plot? If it's just taking up space, cut it out. This applies to things like pleasantries, too. Even though they would be in normal speech, they're tedious in writing. Find a balance between natural-feeling and concise.
Use actions to break up long stretches of dialogue, and sometimes in place of speech tags. Show what your characters are thinking or feeling, don't just tell. For instance, tacking adverbs onto speech tags is jarring and unnecessary.
Instead of this:
"I like it," she said happily.
Try this:
She grinned at him, eyes twinkling. "I like it."
While we're on the topic of speech tags, don't put them all in the same place. With experience, you get an ear for where to put them, and when to omit them, so read your sentences and decide where it sounds best. If you decide to omit one, make sure it's obvious who's speaking.
A good way to make it obvious who's speaking is by varying the voices of your characters. Every person doesn't have the same speech pattern- make sure this is evident in your work. You can give characters various accents, speech patterns, or even sayings that they use, just be careful not to overdo it.
Especially watch your use of slang. Not only does it date your work, it can feel awkward to readers. Also limit use of "um," "well," and pauses. Again, if it's just taking up space, leave it out, even if it would make sense in a real conversation.
Finally, don't be the grammar police with dialogue. People don't always speak in complete sentences. Characters shouldn't either. Trailing off or being interrupted can give a conversation depth. Maybe one character tends to misuse words or make mistakes. That's one way to give them their own voice. So ease up on the rules, and don't make it sound good; make it sound real.
If you'd like to read the articles I read, here are their links:
Writing Is Hard Work
Whoosh Editing
NY Book Editors
Thanks for reading to the end of this super long post. Happy writing! -Abby
Writing reminder and updates
I've been so busy this month, so you haven't heard from me in forever. My trip was a great success, we did amazing things and had a lot of fun, and right after we got back I jumped into fourth quarter assignments at school. Anyone who is at that point in school now knows- it's pretty bad. I'm toughing it out though, and you guys can expect to hear from me again in late May.
Okay, a little later in the month than usual, but consider yourselves reminded to write something. You definitely know the drill by now, just do something authorly. You've had plenty of time to think about it, now it's time to act.
And kudos to everyone who keeps up with the reminders and does their writing every month. When you finish something, let me know, and if you're willing to share, I'd love to feature more stories on this page that you guys have written.
Thanks for reading this, guys. Happy writing! -Abby
Okay, a little later in the month than usual, but consider yourselves reminded to write something. You definitely know the drill by now, just do something authorly. You've had plenty of time to think about it, now it's time to act.
And kudos to everyone who keeps up with the reminders and does their writing every month. When you finish something, let me know, and if you're willing to share, I'd love to feature more stories on this page that you guys have written.
Thanks for reading this, guys. Happy writing! -Abby
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Writing reminder!
You know the drill by now, don't you? Whatever you're working on, work on it. Even if it's just a little bit, make it your goal today to write.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Five grammar and syntax tips
Hey all! Thought I'd share some writing tips to help make your pieces stronger. These tend to apply more to narratives, but there's some good information in here for other writing too.
Please note that original sources may be impossible to find, so for sourced tips, I reference who I heard it from.
1: Remember TIP TOP when you think you should start a new paragraph- make a new one if you changed
Time
Place
Topic
Person
(Tumblr user sp00kyjames)
2: Don't use epithets unless the audience/character doesn't know the person's name.
(Suggested by Tumblr user martainducreff)
3: It's hard to overuse words like he/she, the, and I. We read them so often they disappear, and don't pull readers out of the story.
4: Unless you are trying to make a point, don't start all your sentences the same way. Don't start all your paragraphs the same way. Don't start all your pieces the same way. It gets boring fast.
5: Double check your use of homophones. Nothing makes a piece seem immature or pulls a reader out of a story quite like mixing up "there" and "their".
Please note that original sources may be impossible to find, so for sourced tips, I reference who I heard it from.
1: Remember TIP TOP when you think you should start a new paragraph- make a new one if you changed
Time
Place
Topic
Person
(Tumblr user sp00kyjames)
2: Don't use epithets unless the audience/character doesn't know the person's name.
(Suggested by Tumblr user martainducreff)
3: It's hard to overuse words like he/she, the, and I. We read them so often they disappear, and don't pull readers out of the story.
4: Unless you are trying to make a point, don't start all your sentences the same way. Don't start all your paragraphs the same way. Don't start all your pieces the same way. It gets boring fast.
5: Double check your use of homophones. Nothing makes a piece seem immature or pulls a reader out of a story quite like mixing up "there" and "their".
I'm leaving!
Sorry for the off topic post, but I want to explain why there aren't going to be any posts for the rest of the month, and what's going on.
I'm going on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, which means that for the next two weeks, I'm going to be incommunicado. I had a post ready for you guys, but it accidentally got deleted (really frustrating, by the way), so it's going to have to wait until April.
In the meantime, you can rest easy knowing that I have some really great things planned for next month, so be sure to check back soon!
I'm going on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, which means that for the next two weeks, I'm going to be incommunicado. I had a post ready for you guys, but it accidentally got deleted (really frustrating, by the way), so it's going to have to wait until April.
In the meantime, you can rest easy knowing that I have some really great things planned for next month, so be sure to check back soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)